HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Williams, W. P. Articles by Buckley, P. M. Search for Related Content PubMed Articles by Williams, W. P. Articles by Buckley, P. M. Agricola Articles by Williams, W. P. Articles by Buckley, P. M.

Southwestern Corn Borer Growth on Laboratory Diets Containing Lyophilized Corn Husks

USDA-ARS Corn Host Plant Resistance Research Unit, Box 9555, Mississippi State, MS 39762

^* Corresponding author (wpwl{at}ra.msstate.edu).

Southwestern corn borer (Diatraea grandiosella Dyar) is a serious pest of corn (Zea mays L.) in the southern USA. Lack of reliable techniques for evaluating resistance after anthesis is a major problem. The objective was to develop a laboratory bioassay for evaluating southwestern corn borer larval growth on diets comprised primarily of lyophilized husks of corn inbred lines. Diets were prepared by adding 15 g of lyophilized busk tissue collected within 3 d after silk emergence to a mixture of 250 mL distilled water, 2400 mg agar, 12.5 mg gentamicin sulfate, 132 mg sorbic acid, and 528 mg ascorbic acid. Larvae were weighed after feeding on the test diet for 21 d. Larvae fed diets containing husks of different inbred lines varied significantly. Because southwestern corn borer larvae that infest corn plants at or after anthesis feed initially on husks, this bioassay is a potentially useful technique for identifying resistant germplasm.

Received for publication May 19, 1995.